This is some useful information about what constitutes a standard drink for your drink diaries, what is risky drinking and some of the benefits of cutting down.
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Assessing your alcohol intake
Typical servings of alcohol tend to be considerably higher than one standard drink - this is important when calculating your daily and weekly alcohol intake - people are often surprised at how many standard drinks they actually consume.
Lower Risk Drinking
Lower risk drinking is defined as regularly drinking no more than 10 standard drinks for men and women.
Lower risk drinking is associated with: increased relaxation; sociability; and reduced risk of heart disease (for men over 40 and post menopausal women)
Risky Drinking
Risky drinking is defined as regularly drinking 16-40 standard drinks per week for men and 10 - 28 standard drinks for women.
Harmful Drinking
Harmful drinking is defined as regularly drinking 40+ standard drinks per week for men and 28+ standard drinks for women.
Risky and harmful drinking have progressively increasing risk of:
Low energy
Memory loss
Relationship problems
Cancer
Depression
Insomnia
Impotence
Injury
Cardio-vascular disease
Alcohol dependence
High blood pressure
Liver disease
Benefits of Cutting Down
There are many benefits to cutting down your alcohol intake, particularly if you are drinking at risky or harmful levels.
Psychological / Social / Financial Benefits
Improved mood
Improved relationships
Reduced risks of drink driving
Financial savings
Physical Benefits
Better sleep
More energy
Weight loss
No hangovers
Reduced risk of injury
Improved memory
Better physical shape
Reduced risk of high blood pressure / cardiovascular disease
Reduced risk of cancer
Reduced risk of liver disease
Reduced risks of brain damage
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